Independence Day

noun

: a civil holiday for the celebration of the anniversary of the beginnings of national independence

specifically : July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776

Examples of Independence Day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What the investigation has revealed so far On July 4, Nolan and a group of friends boarded boats and set out from Ocean Springs to celebrate America’s Independence Day on nearby Horn Island. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

On Independence Day, on the ceremonial grounds of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, a tribal nation that spans northeastern South Dakota and a small part of North Dakota, the afternoon heat rose steadily. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

President Prabowo Subianto paid tribute to the victims of the earthquake on Monday during a ceremony for the country’s 81st Independence Day, holding a moment of silence in their memory. — Connor Greene, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

The festivities, honoring the United States’ 250th Independence Anniversary and India’s 80th Independence Day, take place in Plaza de César Chávez. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Independence Day

• euphorbiaceae
• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier

Kids Definition

Independence Day

noun

: a holiday celebrating the beginnings of a nation's independence

especially : July 4 observed as a legal holiday in the U.S. in honor of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776